Interview with an Ex-Businessman now an ESL Teacher in Brazil

by on in Life Abroad

Today, Jim from – Qualidade de Vida (Quality of Life) shares with us his stories of living in Brazil where he teaches English after working in the U.S. for 20 years. Jim has been blogging about his adventures for almost 3 years and writes about topics in his life like food, work, and culture.

If you’ve ever dreamed of living somewhere totally different than your current situation and changing your life for the better, then this interview is for you.

Austin: What led you to Brazil?

Jim: Back in San Francisco I met a guy 11 years ago and we fell in love. He is a Brazilian who had been living in the USA for 12 years. Together we visited Brazil and his family several times over the years for vacation. I immediately loved the country, culture, people – everything. When Luiz suggested we move to Brazil I was all for it.
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Online Banks vs. Brick & Mortar Banks

by on in Banking

Sorry to the FF Fanatics about the lack of a podcast yesterday. I’m in between scheduled interviews and couldn’t get one posted so check back next Sunday for a new episode.

On to the post!

It’s a big change for people to move their money from a brick and mortar bank (your typical local big or local bank like Chase, Bank of America, or “insert town name here” Bank) to an online bank (Ally, ING Direct, or HSBC). People tend to shy away from big changes and when the unknown is thrown in to the equation, the idea of change seems even more impossible.

So today, let’s take a look at the major differences between online banks (OB) and brick & mortar banks (BMB) so you can feel more comfortable and knowledgeable about what a switch of banks means for you and your money.

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Ally Bank Review

by on in Banking, Reviews, Savings

I switched online banks in May and now that I’ve had a couple of months with my new bank, Ally, I feel like I’ve experienced enough to write a well-rounded and informative review.

Ally is everything you need out of an online bank. They do everything adequately and there aren’t any huge misses in their approach to online banking.

Let’s run through the review thumbs up, thumbs down style so you can see what parts of Ally I like and the parts that need work.
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Why I Spent $2,000 on an Airplane Ticket

by on in Money, Travel

I made the single biggest purchase of my life last week. After fuel charges and 12 other airline taxes I spent $2,000 on a round-trip airline ticket from Tokyo to Chicago for the 2 weeks in August.

Is it an outrageous price? You bet, but as I’ll try to justify to my readers (and myself), the ticket will be well worth the money.

Now, this isn’t just a diary post about my stories abroad. Instead, let’s look at smart spending, saving for goals, and when it’s ok to open up our wallets to spend on the things that bring us happiness, joy, and all that other sappy greeting card stuff.

Here’s the reasons I decided to make the biggest purchase of my life.
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Find a Job Abroad with a Working Holiday Visa & Temp Agency

by on in Guest Posts, Work Abroad

Yesterday I was joined by FF reader and world traveler SA on The Foreigner’s Finances Podcast to discuss a variety of travel stories and tips. Today, SA was kind enough to expand on the topic on the topic of working holiday visas and how to use a temp agency while you’re abroad to find work.

If you’ve ever thought about working abroad, you might consider a working holiday visa. This type of visa is a restricted work visa generally aimed at people between the ages of 18-30, with some limits on the type of employment you may seek and often other nation-specific restrictions as well.

For Americans who want to travel abroad, twenty-eight separate countries offer working holiday visas for varying lengths of time (generally between four to twelve months), including nations that can be otherwise difficult to gain medium-term access too–such as the United Kingdom, Japan, or France.
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The FF Podcast Ep. 6: Travel Stories & Tips from a World Traveler

by on in Podcast, Travel

On this week’s episode of The Foreigner’s Finances Podcast I talk with FF reader, SA, and we discuss what she’s learned from vacationing, studying, and working abroad.

SA is a twenty-something who has frugally managed to travel to countries like Italy, Guatemala, New Zealand, and England. In this podcast she tells us about her favorite places, how to find employment abroad, and the benefits of studying abroad in college.

Remember, you can subscribe to the podcast’s RSS feed or download and subscribe on iTunes to get every episode delivered to you.

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How Much Will No State Income Tax Help LeBron in Miami?

by on in Money, Savings

Running a personal finance site doesn’t allow me to write about current events all too often so allow me to hop on the LeBron to Miami train and throw a personal finance twist on it.

We’ve heard multiple reasons for LeBron’s final decision to head to Miami – playing with some of his best friends, living in South Beach, warm weather, being around Pat Riley, a team that has won recently won a championship – and an unusual one: no state income tax.

So what exactly does Florida not having state income tax do for LeBron?

The answer is surprisingly huge.
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Should You Buy Your Company’s Stock?

by on in Investing

My friend was recently was hired for a new job and e-mailed me asking for some clarification about his company’s retirement plan and stock options. He copy and pasted this bit of his company’s retirement plan in to the e-mail:

“(Company name) sponsors an Employee Stock Purchase Plan whereby all employees are eligible to purchase shares of (company name’s) stock (traded under ticker symbol “(removed”) at a 15% discount off the market price at the end of each calendar quarter. Employee elections, of up to 10% of base salary, are required before the first day of the calendar quarter and are binding for the entire quarter. Employee contributions during the quarter are used to purchase shares at the close of the quarter at 85% of the market price at the time of purchase. Shares are deposited into a personal account with E*Trade Financial on behalf of the employee. All shares purchased through the program must be held for a period of at least six months.”

My friend believes in the world of simple investing through index funds and was wondering if his company’s stock should have a place in his portfolio. I replied that he shouldn’t and let’s look at why I think it’s smart to avoid investing in your company’s stock.

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